Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome the latest addition to R&M Artist Records: National Product. The band, which hails from Orange County (the O.C.!), is currently on tour opening for Chicago’s very own hometown heroes: 1997. I got the chance to check out National Product last night at Chicago’s newest venue, Reggies Rock Club. “The Endless Summer Tour” kicked off on August 14th and is presented by ABSOLUTEPUNK.net. If there is one thing I will remember from National Product’s show, it is that the lead singer (Danny) is a HUGE Jimmy Eat World fan (just like me)! Between songs he mentioned how stoked he was that he just picked up JEW’s Clarity record on vinyl on a recent shopping expedition. This JEW name drop immediately caught my attention and when Danny asked the crowd if anybody liked Jimmy Eat World and had the Clarity album, I seriously felt like the oldest fan in the audience. This is because I was probably the ONLY ONE who made any kind of noise to vocalize that OF COURSE I had that record and OF COURSE loved JEW! Good grief people! Jim Adkins and Co. are pretty much the founding grandfathers of Emo/Pop/Punk. In my opinion, every up and coming band should count Jimmy Eat World as an influence. On National Product’s MySpace page, the genre they categorize themselves in is Rock/Pop Punk/Acoustic. Though NP doesn’t sound quite like JEW (far from it, actually), they won me over with the simple fact that one of their favorite bands is also one of mine. Smart people think alike and have excellent taste in music I say!

Keep reading after the jump to check out more photos of the dudes in National Product…

Stan “Stantera” – Guitar

If you are only going to check out one song from National Product, make sure you listen to their new single, Medicated. That song is catchy as hell! I fell in love with the track within seconds of hearing it. A little fun fact: the music video for Medicated was shot right here in Chicago! Make sure you catch a glimpse of the band hanging in the Windy City on YouTube.

UK metal band, Dragon Force on the mainstage at Rockstar Mayhem 2008. This is a very 80’s metal band, all the way from the sound to the hair blowing in the wind. Check them out for yourself. They are on tour through 2009 all over the world. These guys are staying busy!

Update:The video has been taken down due to everybody watching it and it costing me a lot of money. It's a great thing and a very bad thing. Looking for a HQ Player for online video distribution of LARGE files. Have one? Let me know by dropping a comment or go to the contact page.

This is an introduction to a new band that I’m really enjoying, The Love Willows. They have a very poppy sound and they remind me of the feel good music like The Beach Boys. Take a look for yourself in the video embedded below. I’ll be reviewing the album in the next week, so stay tuned!

As promised, Disturbed on Rockstar Mayhem in San Diego! The opening is the greatest. Don’t know if they are doing this on their current European Tour so all our European Disturbed fans will have to let me know.
UPDATE: Sorry, had to switch video players. I am looking for a HQ online video player that can hold the massive videos we have. In other words, we are back to the craptacular Youtube quality vids until I find a replacement. Check back…

Amplified is a 4 day music conference and showcase in Las Vegas, Nevada that boasts daily conferences, nightly shows, and parties.

This year was as advertised. The daily conferences included panel discussions about touring, booking, music licensing to film and TV, online marketing sessions, and perspectives from the indie label A&R perspective. I thought all the A&R reps were fired–guess I was wrong. The panelists all came from the music industry and some were industry giants from Columbia Records, BMI, ASCAP, and managers from some of the biggest artists out right now.

After battling rush hour for 2 hours I finally made it to the Beat Kitchen. This quaint corner bar is in the Roscoe Village neighborhood that has a cute outdoor patio area. I didn’t have a chance to eat here, but they have an incredible assortment of items on their menu. Everything from appetizers, soups & salads to sandwiches, specialty pizzas & even dessert! They even have vegetarian options, which is fantastic for me! They have an extensive beer & wine menu at semi-decent prices. Every Friday, Saturday & Sunday the Beat Kitchen hosts Brunch from 11:30-4pm. Their menu has everything from French Toast to Empanadas. The backroom is where the Beat comes in. It’s a small area with an intimate stage. There was a bar but no bartender. I didn’t really care as much since I wasn’t there to drink, but if I was I’d be pretty peeved. There were a good 4 or 5 ceiling fans, but none of them were on so it was a hot mess for all.

Overall the sound & lighting were excellent; I will for sure be back to check out brunch & will absolutely come back for another show!

When you draft the shortlist of blue-eyed soul pioneers, Steve Winwood quickly drifts to the top.If you filter by Brit, he usually tops the list.

At Humphrey’s, his four piece band sauntered onstage and laid down a compelling groove.Winwood soon followed, taking his place behind his Hammond organ. I realized that rarely had I sat in a more appropriate section for a concert: B3.As with every concert at Humphrey’s, there is no bad seat.

Winwood led the band through a solid 2+ hours of old and new tunes, with long stretches of riveting instrumental breaks.It was a tremendous show. Winwood’s touring band honed their chops recording Winwood’s recent album, Nine Lives. The obvious and joyful interplay among the band was palpable and infectious. [Read more…]

This is called posting on the run. I thought I would throw some teaser pictures up for all of your Dave Matthews fans. See our Dave Matthews coverage when they hit Chicago earlier this year with LeRoi here.

UPDATE: Posted more photos of the show. I hope this satisfies the minds and eyes of all Dave Matthews fans. Let us know by leaving a comment.

It was Tuesday night at the Viper Room in West Hollywood. We headed up to see Building a Better Spaceship, a local band to the Los Angeles area music scene.

This band is headed to some great places in the music industry. Building a Better Space Ship has played with acts such as Avenged Sevenfold, Lifehouse, Unwritten Law, 311, The Killers, 30 Seconds to Mars, and Hoobastank. The list is quite long.

I had two hours to listen to their self-titled album on the car ride home.

Sparky and I couldn’t get past track 2 on the album, “Falling in Line”. This is the song! If you haven’t heard it check their MySpaceout to hear it. The song is catchy with the sound of some great radio rock. If I get a Youtube clip of it or a recording I will post it because everybody needs to hear this song!

At the Viper Room they rocked the place and brought quite a crowd with them. They started at 9:30pm, which is early in Viper Time, but the band had to showcase, thus playing early. That aside, the guys had the girls dancing up front and even the meanest looking man in the joint and the hippie in the corner were tapping their feet to the rhythm.

It’s been a long time since a band caught my attention like this. The melody and rhythms of each song were intense and well written. The guys shared in those duties and the band was very tight onstage and put on a hyper kinetic show.

This 5-piece rock band is one to keep your eyes on!

They have a show on September 26th at the 710 Club in Pacific Beach, California. Plus, they now have residency at the Viper Room starting in October. If you live in the Southern California region and have a moment to catch the quintet live, it is a must.

The Setlist:

Dry My Eyes
This Time
Pacific
Rainbow
Carousel
Falling in Line
Bullet Proof

Click on thumbnails of Building a Better Spaceship for full sized image:

Steve is out supporting his newest release, Nine Lives. It debuted on the #12 position on the Billboard 200 Charts when it dropped in late April of 2008.

The legendary Steve Winwood played Humphrey’s by the Bay on Tuesday to a near sold out crowd and the fans that stayed in their dingies in the bay to hear the show.

The night was amazing as Steve kicked the show off on the B3 organ which he played on for the first three songs of the night. Then (to everybody’s joy) he backed off from the organ and picked up his baby blue Fender guitar. Each song of the night, whether it was a new song off Nine Lives or a classic hit, received standing ovations. Steve vocally delivers the songs as good live as they are on the albums.

This was my first Steve Winwood concert and I am one of those fans that didn’t really know he played guitar. I am a fan of Steve’s music from the 80’s, thus me being the 80’s child. The guitar solos were amazing. Each of the four musicians on stage carried long solos and switched instruments between songs. The stamina of the band was mind-boggling. The sound of the bass guitar was also mind-boggling since there was no bass guitar on stage. Four of us came to a conclusion that either Steve or one of the two percussionists used a bass pedal that simulated a bass guitar.

The one song I wish he played was from 1986: “Back in the High Life Again.” I really can’t complain because he did play “Higher Love” and one of his oldest hits “Gimme Some Lovin’ “(from The Spencer Davis Group circa 1966). I’ll just have to catch him next time he rolls into town.

God bless Sara Bareilles! She played my favorite song of hers FIRST last night when she opened for Maroon 5 and Counting Crows. The song I am talking about is called Bottle It Up – NOT Love Song. If you think that Sara is just a one-hit-wonder, you are sadly mistaken. Yes, Love Song may be the only song of hers that you have heard on the radio (for the past seven months!). However, Sara is more than just that one song. She is full of hits and Bottle It Up is a definite crowd favorite. Most die-hard fans actually prefer Bottle It Up to her big hit, but that is usually how it is with die-hard fans. They always hate (or are at least sick of) the big commercial radio hit that the masses can’t stop listening to. I personally could go without hearing Love Song for the rest of my life! That is how much I am tired of hearing it – sorry Sara! But over-exposure really does kill the excitement of hearing a song on the radio. Every hour on the hour is just not working for me (and most people I would assume).

Keep reading after the jump to see more up close and personal photos of Ms. Sara Bareilles…

Serving as the opening act for Maroon 5 is nothing new to Ms. Bareilles. They are old college buddies of hers from their years at UCLA. Maroon 5 gave Sara one of her big breaks when they took her on tour with them last Fall (2007). Adam Levine and Co. have been sharing more than just the stage with the singer/songwriter/pianist – the band and Sara share the same manager. Those guys certainly look out for their friend – thanks boys! Adam Duritz, frontman for Counting Crows, also seems to be a huge Sara Bareilles fan. He walked out on the stage to introduce Sara and had a speech prepared, which he read off from his BlackBerry. Then he brought out Sara to sing with the Crows for their hit Hanginaround. THEN (ha, that’s not all) he sat down at the piano and started to sing and play Bottle It Up! The song must be written in the same key as one of the Crows’ songs because he used Sara’s Bottle It Up as both the intro and outro to the song the band was performing during their encore. It was awesome!

I’ll be honest with you, I can only remember the first four songs that Sara played last night (forgive me!). After viewing the first half of Sara’s set list, enjoy viewing some photos from the show!

Kate Voegele is a busy girl these days. Her fan base has grown so much since the last time I saw her show back in February. What a difference! The all-ages show was packed with several One Tree Hill fans. It was so hard to get a good spot in the joint. Kate always amazes me; I still don’t know how such a large voice can come out of such a tiny girl. Kate played songs from her album Don’t Look Away and graced us with some new songs including “Lift Me Up” which is on the AT&T Team USA Soundtrack for the Olympics.

For other shows of Kate that we have covered you can check them out here and over here or for interviews with Kate go here and here!

Ahhh…the last band of the night was the Gym Class Heroes at Warped Tour in San Diego. This was my first time covering Gym Class Heroes, but we have covered these Heroes before in Chicago here. They are out supporting their new release The Quilt which drops September 9th.

All I am going to say about the San Diego performance is that they wanted to take off their clothes, have sex, get high, and see everybody’s fingers in the air. Yes, it was a fun time. For anybody who went: Wouldn’t you say that sums it up too?

I am currently sitting in the parking lot of the Cricket Wireless where I was on the 14th for Warped Tour. I am sitting here waiting for Dave Matthews to be over so I can hightail it out of the crazy parking lot. If you have ever been to the Cricket in Chula Vista, CA you know what I am talking about.

Enjoy the pictures of Reel Big Fish from their Warped Tour performance. They performed quite a few covers that included Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” to A-ha’s “Take on Me.” There antics onstage are quite entertaining and amusing. They talked about the crowd getting in their pants and played off that which seemed unscripted.

They of course played their big hits and started off the set with “Sell-Out.” If you can’t tell by the pictures, the show was a blast. These guys are fun and flamboyant and I’ll be seeing them again.

Fall Out Boy Announced As Performance For The Nike+ Human Race in ChicagoHometown Favorite Plays Post-Race Concert for World’s Largest One Day Running Event

CHICAGO (July 30, 2008) – Nike today announced Fall Out Boy will headline the Nike+ Human Race post-race concert at Soldier Field on Aug. 31, 2008. The Nike+ Human Race is the world’s biggest one-day running event, bringing together the power of sport and music to inspire and connect runners from every corner of the planet.

Participants in this unprecedented event will experience an exclusive music performance by some of today’s top artists in each of the 25 designated race cities. In Los Angeles, nine-time Grammy Award winning artist Kanye West will headline the run’s post-race concert for the grand finale of the 25-city Nike+ Human Race. In London, runners will be treated to an exclusive performance by world-renowned American DJ, songwriter, musician and singer Moby in the city’s famed Wembley Stadium.

“We are thrilled to come back to our home city and hit the stage for the Nike+ Human Race,” said Pete Wentz. “We’ll be part of an once-in-a-lifetime global event, with hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world running and listening to some great music while serving a higher cause, and there’s no better place to do it than Chicago! It’s an honor to join the global line-up of amazing musical acts.”

Beyond running and music, the Nike+ Human Race is also an opportunity to give back. Participants will be able to run for a worthy cause and support the three official Nike+ Human Race charitable partners: the Lance Armstrong Foundation – uniting people in the fight against cancer; WWF – the global conservation organization addressing the causes and impacts of climate change; and the UN refugee agency’s ninemillion.org campaign – bringing sport and education to refugee youth. Together, Nike and runners will raise funds to donate at least USD $3 million to the Nike+ Human Race charities. Money will be raised via givebacks from registration fees, a percentage of Nike+ Human Race t-shirt sales and a donation of USD $1 million from Nike.

“We know that Chicago will do us proud and I hope everyone will sign up to run and party with us on 8.31.08,” said Wentz.

“I’m hitting the stage in Los Angeles for the Nike+ Human Race, Nike’s dopest 10k run ever,” said West. “This race is bringing together hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world to run and listen to some great music while serving a higher cause, and I’m excited to perform in L.A. as part of the grand finale.”

West’s performance will bring to a close, an unprecedented day of races and activities around the globe starting in Taipei, ending in LA and including cities across Europe, Asia and North and South America.

For more information on the Nike+ Human Race and a complete listing of race cities visit nikeplus.com.

About Nike+ Human RaceOn 08.31.08, Nike hosts a run like no other before with the Nike+ Human Race – the World’s Largest One Day Running Event. Nike’s first global race will take place over the course of one day across 25 cities and featuring 25 top musical acts. The 10k event celebrates runners and their sport, offering participants across the globe the chance to run and compete together in an unprecedented race experience. Spanning multiple continents, Nike+ Human Race cities will include LA, New York, London, Madrid, Paris, Istanbul, Melbourne, Shanghai, São Paulo and Vancouver among others. Following races in each city, participants will be treated to an exclusive music concert featuring one of today’s top artists. Participants will be able to run for a cause as a portion of funds raised will be donated to three Nike+ Human Race beneficiaries: WWF, the global conservation organization, Lance Armstrong Foundation and UN refugee agency’s ninemillion.org campaign. The race will be open to anyone, anywhere. Runners outside of the 25 race day cities can join by logging into nikeplus.com. With the help of Nike+ and the Nike+ SportBand, every city and every road can become a race-day course. For more information, visit nikeplus.com.

While walking around Warped Tour, we were getting inundated with bands and band managers trying to get us to see their band or do an interview. I was even grabbed by the arm by one manager, but I was off to see Motion City Soundtrack. On the other end of the spectrum, it is great to run into bands that we’ve met before. David from Panima is one of those guys. My apologies because most know him as “Fro”. If I have to explain that, you aren’t looking at the pictures.

Panima hails from Riverside, California, not too far from The Dead Hub Headquarters. The word around Southern California is if these guys keep busy pushing they way they are, Panima will be the next big band to come out of Riverside. What other band had great success that came from Riverside? Alien Ant Farm.

Warped Tour started a contest via Myspace where fans voted who would play Warped Tour. Panima won a slot on the Ernie Ball Stage, thanks to all the fan voting!

We met up with David for a couple minutes before they hit the Ernie Ball stage at 7:15pm.

Jessica: How is Warped Tour treating you?

David: Really Well! It’s fun but really hard. It’s hard because there is a lot to it. We set up around 7a.m. then pack up around 10p.m. We don’t get much sleep.

J: Have you played or jammed with any other bands on the tour yet?

D: I sing on stage with Greeley Estates (Hurley Stage) now and then.

J: What’s your favorite part of being on Warped Tour?

D: I wake up in a new state every day. Also, getting to travel the entire United States and see places that I have never seen before.

J: What are your plans after Warped Tour wraps up?

D: Chill! Hanging with the family. Then we are touring again starting in October.

Thursday was my first Cobra Starship experience. I was greeted by the 80’s looking Cobra Starship sign that didn’t read Cobra Starship to me. That was probably because I was extremely dehydrated from walking around Warped Tour and refusing to pay high prices for water. I had to have someone tell me that the Highway 1 stage, one of the mainstages, did in fact have Cobra Starship up next. I don’t know about anybody else, but stage signs weren’t clearly marked with the stage names, especially on the smaller stages. Anybody else notice that?

Gabe Saporta, the frontman, mentioned during the first couple songs of the set that he wasn’t feeling well and he actually had to take meds that the doctor said would make him feel better. He said that there was one problem with the meds. They had to be taken via a syringe in his butt. He then described the welt that was around the entry point of the needle that was injected into his butt. Normally I would be screaming “Too much information!” but this was hilarious. He commented, “I lost my voice but my ass looks great!” The band played on.

Victoria Asher

Ryland Blackinton

Overall, the band was in great spirits minus the illness going around. Everybody was into them because they started with one of my favorites, Send My Love to the Dance Floor. They had the entire 2-mile radius crowd moving and grooving! The spirit and energy of the band was crazy. I enjoyed their set the most at this years Warped Tour. Of course, I couldn’t stay for the entire set because it conflicted with another band I wanted to see on a stage that took 10 minutes to walk to.

They are out on tour supporting their newest release Vida Cobra! This band is one very busy band! If you get the chance to catch them as they roll through your town, get your 80’s gear on and go!

Los Angeles, CA – Ann Arbor, MI-based hard rock quartet TAPROOT has announced a September 16th release date for highly anticipated new album OUR LONG ROAD HOME. The album-Taproot’s first since 2005’s Blue-Sky Research-will be released through Velvet Hammer, the label founded by the management company of the same name (System Of A Down, Deftones, Alice In Chains).

Working with producer Tim Patalan (Sponge, Lovedrug), the band penned more than fifty songs for the album, twelve of which were recorded in a converted barn just a few minutes down the road from vocalist/guitarist Stephen Richards’ home.

“We made each of our previous albums in expensive studios and always had to keep one eye on the clock to finish on budget,” says Richards. “This time we got to record an album the way we did our early demos-relaxed, at our own pace, and allowed to indulge in our own guilty pleasures. It proved that you can actually go home again.”

OUR LONG ROAD HOME reveals a revitalized band with a broadened range and deepened perspective. The album combines the feral (“Take It”) with the grandiose (“Footprints”) while exploring themes of loss (“Be The One”), liberation (“Run To”) and the emotional carnage in-between. On tracks such as “Hand That Holds True” and smoldering lead single “Wherever I Stand,” Taproot blends iron-fisted backbeats, honeyed melodies and speaker-shattering guitars to thrilling effect.

16 year old Blake Peebles from North Carolina just dropped out of high school to follow his dream of playing music. I know this seems like every teenage boy’s fantasy, but Blake aspires to play Guitar Hero professionally in the competitive world of gaming. Due to poor grades and not being liked in school, his parents have allowed him to drop out of school and have hired a private tutor. Blake has won some Guitar Hero tournaments, racking up winnings of gift certificates, gaming equipment, & 52 Chick-fil-A meals. If Blake can achieve his goal, he has the potential of earning $80,000 a year on the gaming circuit. That is a long, intense road that I don’t think Blake is prepared to endure. With the cost of traveling to enter tournaments (not including the quantity of training & sponsorships) he may be in over his head. Not to mention games being upgraded or replaced by something newer and better! According to a national Halo 2 champion, in eight years his total earnings were roughly $25,000. Ouch! I think Blake should trade in his plastic guitar for a real one and try to make a living off of that.

Acclaimed indie artist Ingrid Michaelson has announced the dates of her national headlining ‘Be OK’ tour, beginning in her hometown of Staten Island, NY on October 29. The tour coincides with the release of her benefit project, Be OK, an album of previously unreleased songs, covers, and live recordings that have become fan favorites from her shows over the past year. Be OK will be released October 14 via Michaelson’s own Cabin 24 Records.

A portion of the proceeds from sales of Be OK will go to Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), a groundbreaking initiative aimed at raising funds to accelerate cancer research and end cancer’s reign as a leading cause of death. Additionally, a historic, nationally-televised program will be simultaneously broadcast live and commercial free on ABC, CBS and NBC on September 5, 2008 at 8pm EST and PST. The music video for the song “Be OK” will debut on www.standup2cancer.org August 19.

Michaelson has also designed a “Be OK” necklace for sale at each tour stop and online, with all proceeds going to SU2C. The “Be OK” single will be available on iTunes beginning September 2, the same date Michaelson is set to perform the song on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Michaelson is also confirmed to headline nine dates on the first leg of the upcoming all-female Hotel Café Tour this fall, from October 16 – 27. The tour will feature some of the best female songwriters performing today, including Rachael Yamagata, Priscilla Ahn, Meiko, Brooke Fraser, Kate Havenik, and Thao Nguyen, among many others. For more information on the Hotel Café Tour’s all-girl line-up, dates, and tickets, please visit: http://www.thehotelcafetour.com/.

Harmonix and MTV Games announced today the addition of tracks from New Wave pioneers Devo and Duran Duran to the Rock BandTM Music Store catalog of downloadable content. On August 19, Devo’s “Girl U Want” and “Through Being Cool,” and Duran Duran’s “Rio” and “Girls on Film” will make their music gaming debut.

Considered to be one of the most influential acts in pop music history, Devo originally formed in 1973 but didn’t find commercial success until the 80s with the help of their colorful music videos. Devo re-recorded exclusively for Rock Band, “Girl U Want” from their third studio album, the 1980 release, Freedom of Choice, and the synthpop hit “Through Being Cool” from their fourth studio album, New Traditionalists, released in 1981. These tracks join “Uncontrollable Urge”, from Q: Are We Not Men, A: We Are Devo!, which is featured on Rock Band 2’s disc.

I walked up to the Anberlin tent at Warped Tour and saw the sign for their acoustic performance at the Myspace tent. Curious to hear them acoustic (I have a weakness for acoustic performances) I wanted to head over to hear it. I asked the guy who worked at the tent where the Myspace tent was. He said he didn’t know. He continued, “It’s a big tent you can’t miss it!” We walked down the next aisle, and there it was, in a huge tent like the guy had said.

Christian, Stephen & Joey

We waited and waited in the tent for Anberlin to come out. Granted we arrived at the tent early because we found it fast. The DJ in the Myspace tent had the PA attached to his iPod. Unfortunately for some in the audience, he broke out into Celine Dion, Vanessa Carlton, Jesse McCarthy, and of course he topped it off with N’Sync. The most surprising thing is that there were many girls in the tent singing at the top of their lungs to the songs. Finally Anberlin arrived. We only stayed for a few songs because the tent was packed and it was very, very hot in there with no air movement.

Anberlin is supporting their new album “New Surrender”. Missed them on Warped Tour? They are heading out for a US/ Europe Headlining tour in October. Visit their Myspace for more details.

Read Jennifer’s full review with pictures from the Chicago stop of the Warped Tour with Anberlin here.

Despite selling 100,000 albums on their self-titled debut and having their 2005’s “A Beautiful Lie” go platinum, Virgin Records is suing the band for $30 million for failing to deliver a new album on time. That’s a pretty clever number. Do you think that was deliberate? Some big-wig probably thought that was really cute. 30 Seconds? Why don’t we sue for 30 million! Particulars of the band’s punctuality have not been disclosed. The lawsuit states the band “repudiated” a 1999 contract in July. What does that even mean? After touring in 2007, the band has been working on a new album, but apparently it’s not coming along fast enough. 30 Seconds to Mars may just be another victim of the money saving merger with Capitol Records implemented by EMI to reconstruct business to save millions a year. Good for them!

This is the 5th time around for Projekt Revolution and it gets better every year. This year Linkin Park is supporting their new album “Minutes to Midnight” which was one of 2007’s best selling albums.

I am going to let the pictures of Sunday night’s tour speak for themselves. There is still time for everyone to catch these guys and the rest of the great lineup on this year’s Projekt Revolution. Dates Here

Ahh…Chris Cornell. You may know him from Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, Audioslave, or maybe just from some of his solo work and the James Bond movie theme song. He’s out supporting his latest solo release Carry On that features the cover of Michael Jackson’s “Billy Jean”. This is also as American Idol failed to recognize as Chris’s arrangement, but that’s another story.

There are still dates left to catch Chris on the Projekt Revolution Tour (after the jump). His set never disappoints. His voice just gets more powerful the further he gets into the set. For example, by the time he finished his set in Vegas last November his voice started chipping the paint off the venue walls. He’s just that good.

Read on after the jump for the setlist and more photos.

Photos of Chris Cornell at Projekt Revolution:

Chris Cornell
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater - Irvine, CA
8/10/2008

Chris Cornell
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater - Irvine, CA
8/10/2008

Chris Cornell
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater - Irvine, CA
8/10/2008

Chris Cornell
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater - Irvine, CA
8/10/2008

Chris Cornell
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater - Irvine, CA
8/10/2008

Chris Cornell
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater - Irvine, CA
8/10/2008

Chris Cornell
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater - Irvine, CA
8/10/2008

Chris Cornell
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater - Irvine, CA
8/10/2008

Chris Cornell
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater - Irvine, CA
8/10/2008

Chris Cornell
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater - Irvine, CA
8/10/2008

Chris Cornell
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater - Irvine, CA
8/10/2008

Chris Cornell
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater - Irvine, CA
8/10/2008

On Chris’s Myspace page he currently has his two new songs for everybody’s listening pleasure. You can listen to them by clicking on the links that will send you to his MySpace.

The Bravery are on Projekt Revolution to support their latest release The Sun and The Moon Complete. The Sun and The Moon is also the follow-up to their self-titled debut album. They also re-released the same album with remixes that Sam mentioned would be mixed into the setlist for Projekt Revolution.

Read here our review from their 4/19/2008 show in Chicago @ the Metro.

Check out the official trailer for Avenged Sevenfold’s first concert film – “Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough” shot in HD & 5.1 Audio including a full album of unreleased music from original recording sessions, rare covers and more.

On September 16th, Avenged Sevenfold will release a DVD/CD package called Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough. The live DVD features the band’s April 10th hometown show at the Long Beach Arena headlining the Rockstar Taste of Chaos tour, while the CD contains previously unreleased b-sides that were recorded during the making of Avenged Sevenfold, plus various covers, and other never-before-heard material. The DVD was directed by Core Entertainment’s Rafa Alcantara, who also worked on the band’s critically acclaimed 2007 road documentary All Excess.

Avenged Sevenfold have raised hell on the fourth annual Rockstar Taste of Chaos massively successful arena tour and are currently in the middle of a European tour with rock legends Iron Maiden with amazing fan response. The band is touring behind their self-produced, self-titled album, which topped the Billboard Alternative, Hard, and Rock charts the week after its release. The follow-up to 2005’s million-selling City of Evil, Avenged Sevenfold also debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Top 200, marking the biggest sales week ever for the quintet. The album’s first single, “Almost Easy,” was a Top 10 hit at Active Rock, went Top 20 at Alternative, and was the Number One Most Played Video on Fuse.

The Vans Warped Tour has a tradition where fans get to vote for which of their favorite bands will get to play an extra 10 minutes longer in addition to their standard 30-minute set. The winning band also gets $200 for gas money to guarantee they’ll make it to the next city on the tour! This voting process occurs in every city on the tour. At Chicago’s Warped Tour, Angels & Airwaves won the vote and had the chance to play for 40 minutes, much to the fans’ delight. This actually worked out perfectly, seeing as how the band’s songs are not your average 2 1/2 minute pop/punk songs, but rather 4-5 minute long alternative/epic rock sagas with lengthy instrumental intros. Their set was over before I knew it! Angels & Airwaves is definitely one of the most well-established acts on this summer’s Warped Tour. Even though the guys have only been around for the past three years or so, it did not take them long at all to gather a solid foundation of die-hard fans. This is due to the fact that the lead singer and guitarist, Thomas DeLonge, is the former lead singer and guitarist of Blink-182. Basically, after Tom quit Blink and formed AvA, the majority of Blink fans were instant followers of Tom’s new band, Angels & Airwaves. Pretty nice deal, huh? Kind of like a built-in fan base.

Keep on reading to see more up close and personal photos of the guys in Angels & Airwaves as they dominated Warped Chicago…

Besides formerly being the founding member of Blink-182, Tom DeLonge also had a past side project called Box Car Racer. AvA guitarist David Kennedy was also in Box Car Racer and is an old high school friend of Tom’s. At every AvA concert, to pay homage to his former bands, Tom always does a short medley of songs from both Box Car Racer and Blink-182 – just check out the set list from Chicago’s Warped show above. Not sure about you, but I love that AvA takes the time out of their performance to do this. The fans know every word to every Blink and Box Car song. They are truly devoted to Tom’s music and it shows when you see the audience go CRAZY for these old hits that last no longer than 30 seconds…

Adam “Atom” Willard – Drums

This summer, Guitar Center hit the road with the Vans Warped Tour, activating two programs designed to provide the artists on the tour with support-based tools that improve their chances for success as pro musicians: the GC Web Lab and the GC Axe Smith. The Guitar Center Web Lab, a custom 32? climate controlled internet trailer, provides bands and their crew exclusive access to a backstage wireless web center. Complete with top of the line Apple computers, a satellite-based broadband internet connections, design based software and a knowledgeable rep, Guitar Center’s mission is to provide Warped Tour artists/bands with the tools they need to maintain their online worlds when they are on the road : a service that is especially needed since web access is severely restricted in many of the rural areas where the Warped Tour touches down.

Matt Wachter – Bass

Guitar Center is also proud to provide all bands on the Vans Warped Tour with an onsite professional guitar tech, a.k.a. the “GC Axe Smith”. The GC Axe Smith is where Vans Warped Tour guitarists and bassists come to get their instruments tuned, repaired and ready to rock. From complete set-ups and minor repairs to intonation and truss-rod adjustments, this service is 100% FREE to the artists, underscoring Guitar Center’s commitment to helping Warped bands make the best music possible. In addition, Guitar Center will serve as the exclusive, presenting sponsor of the Vans Warped Tour video blog. Utilizing the Web Lab as the blogging home base, a GC video reporter will use and include the Web Lab in video content as well as conduct artist interviews within the lab’s “testimonial” set-up. Our onsite Warped rep will also produce weekly video content with artists, conducting musician-centric interviews, how-to videos and more.